Improved clothes-drier



UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A. E. SAUNDEES, 0E CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOE To HIMSELE AND o. B. BASEOED, 0E MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

IM PROVED CLOTH ES-DRIER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39.706, dated August 25, 1863.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, A. F. SAUNDERS, of Chelsea, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Horses; and I do hereby declare that the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, hereinafter referred to, forms a full and exact specification of the same, wherein I have Set forth the nature and principles of my said improvements by which my invention ma-y be distinguished from all others of a similar class, together with such parts as I claim and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent.

The gures in the accompanying plate of drawings represent my improvements.

Figure I is a side view of the clothes-horse when closed, and Fig. 2 an end view Fig. 3, a central transverse vertical section through the clothes-horse opened, and Fig. 4iC is a side view of the same. Fig. 5 is atransverse vertical section of the clothes-horse closed; Fig. 6, a top view of the clothes-horse opened, and Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section of the clothes-horse partially opened.

My improvements are made upon that class of towel-stands or clothes-horses in which the objects sought to be accomplished are portability, compactness, and at the same time the furnishing of a large amount of suspendingsurface in order to accommodate as many goods as possible.

In my improved clothes-horse the advantages obtained over those of the same class heretofore used may be briefly enumerated, as follows: First, making each han gin g-frameindependent of the others, so that it can be used separately therefrom; secondly, so arranging the various parts that half or only one side of the apparatus need be employed at a time, which at certain times is very desirable, especially when the number of goods to be sus pended is less than the whole capabilities of the clothes-horse, as, in this position it occupies much less space than when fully spread out; thirdly, a certain arrangement of hanging-frames and short levers whereby the respective foldings and extensions of the supporting-legs are accomplished; fourthly, my

clothes-horse is so constructed and arranged as to stand firmly, whether folded or extended, Without any support exterior to itself.

The detailed construction and arrangement of my new clothes-horse is as follows: a a a a in the drawings represent two upright standards which extend to the top of the apparatus but not to thc base thereof. At each end ofthe clothes-horse and attached to the standards c a a a are three cross bars, b, e, and d, placed one above another at proper intervals. In these cross-bars are placed the pivots or journals of the series of hanging frames e e ff q g, upon the rods It h, Sto., of which the goods are suspended. It will be seen from the several drawings that the hanging-frames e e ff g g can be folded or unfolded and used altogether or separately7 and placed respectively in the different positions reprsaented. To accomplish the folding and unfolding of' the lower and larger hanging-frames, g g, and the supporting-legsj j of the apparatus, I connect the hanging frame and legs with two short lever-arms, l l i 1T, one end of euch leverarm having its pivot in-the cross-rod lc of the hanging-frame ff and the other end having its pivotin the cross-rod l of the legs j j, these legs also turning upon a journal or pivot at m m. The hanging-frame gg receives a firm bearing-support when extended, in consequence of its lower ends abutting against the central upright standards, a a a a.

By the above-described arrangement of the lower hanging-frame, legs, and lever-arms it will be seen that, whether the clothes-horse is folded or unfolded, it will be firmly Sustained by the legs j j without any other support.

The convenience of having the hangingfram es susceptible of movement independently of each other, as Well as the com pactness of the Whole apparatus, will bereadil y manifest by inspection of the drawings.

Having thus Vdescribed my improvement, what I claim as my invention, and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent, is-

The arrangement of hanging-frames, leverarms, and supporting-legs, operating together substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.

Witnesses: A. F. SAUNDERS.

.JOSEPH GAT/ETT, ALBERT W. BROWN. 

